Document processing devices are in widespread use in many businesses and academic settings. Such devices include copiers, scanners, printers and facsimile machines. Today, one or more functions associated with such devices are combined in a single unit, referred to as multifunction peripheral (“MFP”).
A typical small or medium sized business or academic unit may own one or several MFPs. MFPs are typically network connected to allow users to print remotely from their computers, scan documents suitably sent to a user's computer or a third party's computer (for example via email), copy documents, or fax documents to other people. MFPs are generally designed to function independently, with each MFP maintaining its own user and usage quota database for performing authentication and usage accountability for users using the MFP. There is generally no coordination between MFPs for authentication and job accounting.
Third party vendors, such as Pharos™ and PaperCut™, provide solutions for centrally managing jobs, tracking usage for a number of MFPs, and enforcing usage quotas among those MFPs. However, third party solutions require a dedicated server for performing those tasks. A dedicated server not only increases management costs, but also introduces a potential point of failure in the network. In some instances, the dedicated server may be managed by a third party, further complicating management for IT professionals within an organization. Also, depending upon the capabilities of the MFP and the configuration of the network, users may be able bypass a third party's dedicated server and print to a MFP directly, which can result in quotas not being enforced properly or job accounting discrepancies that must be rectified.